


Howling in the Night

by OrpheusSong



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blood and Injury, Keith is a badass, M/M, Pining Shiro (Voltron), Supernatural Elements, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-27
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-09-28 10:34:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17181344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrpheusSong/pseuds/OrpheusSong
Summary: Shiro and the gang head up to his cabin for a winter get-away. He's hoping to get a little closer to the newest member of their friend group, but he can't seem to catch a break. Especially not after it becomes apparent they aren't the only ones on the mountain.This is somewhat inspired by the Until Dawn video game, but not quite.





	Howling in the Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [xenoglossia (oncharredwings)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/oncharredwings/gifts).



> This fic is for the wonderful Pining-Sheith/Marmorashadows for the Dark Sheith Server Secret Santa Exchange! I went crazy overboard, and I hope you like it as much as I liked the concept you gave me!
> 
> This is my first time posting a fic on AO3, so don't judge me too harshly if I messed up the layout. OTL.

The headlights of the sleek SUV flicked on as the sun began to dim with the approach of dusk, the snow along the sides of the road glittering brightly in Shiro’s peripheral as the beams of light struck the white expanse. He maneuvered the vehicle around the bend of yet another set of switchbacks that lead further up the canyon towards their destination. The radio was playing quietly, his thumbs occasionally tapping the wheel in time with the beat of a particularly catchy song. He glanced over to the passenger side where Keith is dozing in his seat, head against the window, his breath creating a small cloud of fog on the tinted glass; it makes Shiro smile with great fondness.

Keith is beautiful when he sleeps.

 _Stop that!_ Shiro shook his head, chasing the thought away as his cheeks burned a little. Keith is a friend, a good friend, and they are joining more friends on a fun winter trip where they will all be friends and have a great time. As friends. Everyone. Together. Friend.

 _Right. Friends_ He nods to himself, getting his thoughts under control and looking to the dashboard clock to get back on task. It was 3:45, closer to dusk than he liked; he did not enjoy the idea of making the rest of the drive in the dark, and sincerely hoped that everyone else was already further up the mountain. He felt a little bad that he hadn’t offered his backseat to Hunk and Lance, or Allura, but they had packed a lot of the supplies, and food in his SUV…or at least that was what he was telling himself to justify a long car ride with Keith and Keith alone for a trip that included seven people altogether. To be fair, the backseat and trunk _were_ stuffed as full as possible and still allow Shiro a view of the road behind; when he had heard the forecast, Keith had suggested they pack extra food and supplies, just in case… Hunk had subsequently gone overboard on food, stuffing coolers with everything he could think of they might want to eat, and way more than they could possible need for a couple of weeks. Lance had gone and packed an extra two suitcases of clothing, despite Shiro’s raised eyebrow as the other had struggled to wrangle three suitcases and a bag of toiletries into the trunk. _”What?! Keith said ‘Just in Case’ all ominously!”_ he exclaimed defensively, throwing his hands up in the air as Shiro gently nudged the younger man out of the way to play luggage tetris. Keith had scowled. _”It wasn’t ominous, Lance. Stop being dramatic.”_ Keith’s voice had been a frustrated rasp, and his brows had drawn together, a thundercloud threatening a storm if Lance kept it up. Allura had stepped in then, gently putting a hand on Lance’s shoulder. _You know that Keith just likes to be prepared…and you are, perhaps, a teensy bit of a clothes-horse._ she had smiled, her eyes mischievous as they caught and held Lance’s…he had taken the bait right away, smiling at her with a grin so wide it bordered on dopey, quickly shooting off response that was an odd mixture of suave and embarrassing in a way only Lance could be.  
With the squabble between Keith and Lance effectively diffused, the group had finished packing cars and deciding seating arrangements. Shiro had tried to avoid immediately blurting out that Keith could ride up with him…after all, he knew Keith wouldn’t be taking his own vehicle up. The sleek black and red motorcycle that was currently sheltered in Shiro’s garage was not an ideal mode of transport for snowy, slick mountain roads, and he was jumping at the chance to have more time to talk to Keith, to maybe get to know him better. Keith had joined their group of friends thanks to Pidge, and from the moment Shiro had laid eyes on his small, crooked smile and heard the rasping honey of Keith’s voice, he was gone, completely drowning in a crush that he had no idea how to deal with. That had been about a year ago now, and Shiro still had not found a way to deal with it, suffering silently instead as he tried to figure out a way to break the ice with his handsome new friend.

Shiro had held his tongue as his friends argued over which cars they would be taking on the trip; he already knew his would be among their fleet, holding all the supplies, but apparently everyone had their own ideas about who else should have the pleasure of playing chaffuer. _”-Yeah, Lance, the jeep is great n’all, but you’re a terrible driver!- HEY! I am NOT!-Why don’t we just let Hunk drive? He has a truck, and drives waaaay better than Lance.- HEY!- Stop it, guys we can ju-I don’t want to die because Lance tries to show off his ‘skillz’-PIDGE, WHAT THE HELL?!-Well, why don’t we just have Allura drive Lance’s jeep, Hunk can drive his truck, and Shiro takes his SUV?-Fine, but if Allura’s driving my car, then I call shotgun in my car.”_ Shiro had sucked in a breath as his friends worked out who would be in which car, not daring to make himself look to desperate by suggesting that Keith take the one seat open in his car…but when it was looking dangerously close to Keith riding shotgun with Hunk, Shiro had lost his resolve. _I have my passenger seat open still…Keith can just ride with me.”_ he said, hoping no one else noticed his voice threatening to break. Keith had turned to give Shiro an appreciative crooked grin, his eyes steady as they met Shiro’s. _”Sounds good to me...provided you drive as well as you fly.”_ The heat in his cheeks nearly turned him to ash where he stood, but Shiro managed to nod dumbly in response., and soon enough, they were underway; Keith and Shiro in the SUV, Allura and Lance in the jeep, leaving Hunk, Matt and Pidge in the truck.

Shiro blamed the bickering for the late start on the journey, but it was done now, and the cards had fallen in his favor where it counted...kinda. Just because he had managed to get Keith alone did not suddenly make him into any less of a disaster around the handsome man. They had sat in silence for the first 20 minutes as Shiro tried to figure out what the hell to say that wasn’t going to sound stupid. _Say anything idiot, don’t just sit here like a lunatic!_ he berated himself after he realized he had been furtively glancing over at Keith every few seconds. _”S-so...Keith...we, uh, haven’t really had a lot of time to get to know one another…”_ he has started, biting his lip, and looking over at his friend again to make sure he hadn’t already made it weird, desperately praying it wasn’t weird. Keith looked fairly relaxed however, and he had smiled over at Shiro. _”I’ve been hanging out with you guys for year, Shiro.”_ he had pointed out in mild amusement, though Shiro couldn’t help but wonder if he had already crossed some type of line; Keith had hesitated before he had answered. The reply had sounded...oddly rehearsed. Shiro shifted a little in his seat. _”No, I know...but I meant more...uhm...more in a personal sense? Pidge said you work in some type of law enforcement? That’s how you met her, right?”_ he tried again, worried he was going to fuck this right up. Keith’s face seemed to shutter a little, his shoulders hunching just a bit, almost imperceptibly. But, he did answer, at least. _”Uh, yeah, I...I guess you could say that. Pidge helped me out on a tight spot with my work...She’s the best in computers, and...well, without her help, lets just say I would have never been able to crack the case...We spent a lot of time together when she was helping me out...we just sorta...clicked, and she kept in touch after the job was done. When I had to relocate here, she showed me around, introduced me to you guys. The rest is kinda history.”_ Keith had shrugged, looking out the window, and Shiro really worried that he he had been too nosey now. It was something he had noticed several times over the past year; Keith never talked much about what he does for a living except in the broadest of terms, he didn’t talk much about family, or other friends...it made Shiro wonder a lot about the quiet, but kind man that had quickly become part of his life as if he had always been there. The odd comfort he felt when Keith was around was something he could not explain, but somehow he felt safe when he was around, like nothing bad could happen. It was a ridiculous thing to feel for a friend he didn’t know that well, but he hoped that one day he might get Keith to open up to him...that it might mean that Keith felt as comfortable around him as Keith made Shiro feel. He had turned his eyes back to the road, momentarily not sure what to say next. _“Well, I’m glad she did. You, uh...wanna listen to something?”_ Shiro had asked, trying to clear the air, and Keith had nodded, with a slight smile and a raspy _”Sure.”_ of agreement. Shiro turned on the radio, letting silence take over the car once more. 

After a brief stop for lunch, they had talked a little more about superficial stuff before Keith had dozed off, leaving them where they were at now; Shiro behind the wheel, humming along to the slightly fuzzy radio, and Keith fogging up the window as he snoozed. Full dark fell quickly, the monotony of driving in silence making it easy to tune out the moment when the radio signal turned to static; the clouds that had been creeping in steadily behind them had finally caught up and began to start a gentle dusting of snow. It lulled Shiro into such a haze that the movement in his peripheral had him turning his head towards the woods where a dark shape was ghosting alongside the road, making Shiro squint to make out more detail between the trees and the snowfall. It was graceful, keeping pace with the car easily,languidly. 

Seconds later, Shiro’s attention snapped to the windshield, slamming on his brakes with a strangled gasp, the car fishtailing a little as it came to a slippery halt. At Shiro’s startled yelp, and the jerk of the car, Keith shot awake, his hand darting inside his coat to his waist. “Shiro!?” he asked, his eyes scanning the road ahead, then turning to look at Shiro, who blinked, his heart pounding a little. “S-sorry Keith. I thought I saw...I thought a...deer was running alongside the car. It must have gotten in front of the car without me realizing...” he said, deciding a deer made the most amount of sense to explain what had just happened. Keith watched Shiro for a moment, before he glanced out at the woods around the car. “Apparently you must have scared it as badly as it scared you...I don’t see it now.” he said steadily. Something about his calm tone soothed Shiro almost immediately, and he released a tense breath he hadn’t realized he was holding in. “We should keep going.” Keith suggested mildly, and Shiro nodded, taking a deep breath before he got them going again. Shiro noted that Keith’s hand lingered inside his coat long after they were gone from that spot. 

~

By 5:00 they were pulling in to the garage under the cabin, and Shiro was never more grateful for his grandfather’s insistence on modernizing the cabin than in this moment. With the snow still falling heavily, it would have been a pain to unpack the cars and drag everything inside without getting soaked, but instead Keith and Shiro started carrying in bags and coolers through the garage door without the threat of slipping in the fresh powder. Shiro was surprised to find they were the first to arrive, but twenty minutes saw Hunk’s truck pulling in, followed by Lance and Allura only fifteen later. Soon, they were all unloading, putting food in the fridge, or picking rooms...they were going to need to share, of course. The cabin may have been remodeled with luxury in mind, but it had began as a simple, four bedroom cottage, which had not changed even when everything else had. 

Pidge and Allura would be taking one room, of course, Lance and Hunk taking the one next to theirs...Keith had started saying something about sharing with Matt, but Shiro was shaking his head right away. “Keith, why don’t you take the master bedroom and I'll bunk with Matt.” He said, watching the war in Keith's eyes, simultaneously protesting and relieved. “I don't want to take your bed from you, Shiro.” He said gently, but Shiro shook his head once more. “Really, Keith, I don't mind...I'm used to Matt's snoring after all these years. It's only right, with this being your first time up here and all.” He smiled, which changed into a snort when his best friend punched his arm. “Rude! I don’t snore!” He grumbled. “Yeah you do.” Lance cut in, and Hunk was nodding right behind him, a consoling look on his face. “Sorry buddy, I’m gunna have to say that you do.” he agreed. Pidge snorted at the look of betrayal coating Matt’s features, and Allura chuckled a little. “Remember that summer trip we took? We thought thunder was rolling in, but it was Matt snoring in the living room?” she said, and from there, it definitely became ‘embarrass Matt hour’ as they all began remembering any number of hilarious situations at the elder Holt’s expense, much to his chagrin.

Shiro laughed a little, turning back to Keith, feeling his expression soften immediately as he looked him over. Keith smiled back, and perhaps it was wishful thinking that Shiro thought his expression might be equally gentle as he nodded. “I appreciate that, Shiro.” He said softly, hefting his bags to drop off in the master bedroom after Shiro pointed him in the right direction. He watched him walk away, not realizing he was staring until he was brought back to reality by the obnoxious snap of Lance’s fingers in front of his face. Shiro scowled. “What, Lance?” he said, his tone much like that of an older brother driven beyond his patience. “Hunk was _trying_ to ask if we should get started on dinner already, but _somebody_ was off in La La Land planning his wedding to small, dark and grouchy.” 

Shiro’s face was pink in an instant, and he spluttered in vain as his friends laughed and Pidge made a suggestive “Woooooo”. Lance grinned, a shark sensing blood in the water. “I didn’t realize Shiro the Hero would be into the Bad Boy type.” Shiro would never have imagined that his face could get any redder, but life was full of little miracles...he was just about to try and defend himself when Keith seemed to poof into existence at his side, his intense features drawn into bafflement as he walked in on a clearly missed joke, and one Shiro had no intention of letting anyone get the chance to explain. “Hunk, let’s start dinner!” his voice just barely avoided being a bark as he took his big friend by the shoulders and steered him towards the kitchen in a desperate shove. He managed to breathe a sigh of relief only when he heard Lance and Matt heading to the living room to hook up a video game as Hunk started pulling out pots, pans, veggies and other ingredients, using Shiro and Allura as his sous chefs. 

It didn’t take their little crew too long to turn out a delicious dinner of chicken noodle soup, crusty bread and these adorable little caramel apple rosettes that Allura and Hunk had painstakingly put together. It was a cozy meal, one that made Shiro think of all the good times he had had in this cabin, both with his family when he was young, and now with his friends as an adult. “I’m really glad everyone could come up this year…” he said warmly, looking around the table at his friends, old and new...though his eyes may have lingered a little longer on a certain new friend. “Let’s have a great vacation.” he smiled. “I’ll drink to that!” Lance smiled, pulling out a nice bottle of brandy, and with plenty of laughter, and companionship(and brandy) to go around, they passed the night until everyone was too tired to keep awake any longer. Shiro fell into bed,that night, content and just a little too tipsy to take much notice of Matt’s gentle snoring...he fell asleep with a sweet smile on his face as he recalled the even sweeter one Keith had worn all night long. 

~

 

They had gotten a bit of a late start to the day, everyone sleeping off a late night of talking and sipping alcohol, but once they had eaten breakfast (a Hunk specialty of egg, bacon and cheese sandwiches) they were ready to get crackin on the real fun. Only a short walk away, they had a huge area perfect for sledding or snowboarding, and the snow that had fallen through the night had made a perfect new layer of powder for them to enjoy. Shiro was just walking back up the hill, pulling Pidge on the sled they had rode down on when he heard the too familiar sounds of Keith and Lance arguing. 

“What do you _mean_ you’ve never been _sledding_?”Lance hollered incredulously. “That proves it, you really are some type of alien.” Keith’s response was a low, growling sound that Shiro couldn’t quite make out, but as they came into sight of the two, he could see that Keith’s face was drawn into an annoyed glare, his entire body tense. Lance turned around as he heard Shiro and Pidge approaching. “Shiro, take your boyfriend down the hill. This freak’s never been _sledding_!” the lanky boy said, pointing an accusing thumb over his shoulder at Keith, who only bristled, and folded his arms across his chest. Pidge jumped off of the sled before Shiro could say anything, hopping over to Keith and starting to push him towards Shiro. “C’mon Keith, no time like the present! Shiro is great to sled with...all those muscles really send you flyin.” she grinned. Shiro once again found himself turning red, and before he knew how it happened, he was sitting on the sled, Keith’s back pressed into him. Lance gave them a shove, sending them flying down the hill at breakneck speed. Keith’s slim body pressed even harder into Shiro’s front, his perfect rear nestled perfectly between Shiro’s thig- _STOP THAT! The LAST thing you need is to get a hard on in Keith’s back all because you’re a pervert that can’t even ride a sled chastely!_ He finished berating himself in time to realize that Keith was laughing. His heart did a flip, and he smiled. “Pretty great, isn’t it?” he called, hoping the wind didn’t snatch the words away from Keith’s ears, but the other nodded, turning to look at Shiro over his shoulder. “Thanks for inviting me along, Shiro.” Keith said, and Shiro would have responded, but for Keith’s sudden yell as he looked forward again, telling Shiro to lean just in time for them to avoid crashing into a huge snowbank. They did, however, end up tipping the entire sled over, dumping themselves into the snow in a laughing heap. 

Keith was up first, helping Shiro out of the snow as they both continued to chuckle and grin. Shiro took the sled and began to start them back up towards the top of the hill; their ride had taken them a lot further than he had gone with Pidge, into the thicker parts of the woods surrounding the cabin, and he could no longer see where Lance and Pidge would be waiting for them. Keith wiped snow from his coat and pants, gesturing at the track they had left. “Good thing we made ourselves a trail back.” he pointed out as they started tromping through the snow. Shiro nodded, smiling a little. “We should ride again when we get to the top.” he suggested, and Keith nodded, opening his mouth to respond just as an eerie shriek filled the woods around them.

Keith tensed and spun immediately, and Shiro could not help but notice the way Keith moved himself in front of Shiro, his hand once more going to his side. He watched the woods, looking around through the trees. For his own part, Shiro felt a shiver travel his spine that had nothing to do with the cold, trying to train is eyes on whatever Keith might be looking for, the rest of him too shaken to move. “...what...was that?” Shiro asked after a tense moment. Keith shook his head, and gestured at Shiro to start backing up, along the path of sled. “Its nothing Shiro...probably just an elk. They make some pretty terrifying sounds.” Keith said, though his voice was still low and cautious. He waited a moment longer before turning around and starting to walk back the way they had come. “ Probably a group of bucks showing off…” he explained. Shiro tilted his head and threw one last glance towards the trees where Keith had watched the longest before following his friend back. “Didn’t realize you knew much about wildlife, Keith.” he smiled a little. Keith bounced his head, his breath puffing out in visible clouds as he walked. “Yeah, I learned a lot about it in my line of work...and...and from my old man.” he sounded somewhat reluctant to add that last, but Shiro nodded. “That’s cool, Keith. I’ve never been much of an outdoorsman…” he said. Keith smiled, giving Shiro an appreciative look. Shiro figured there was a reason that Keith didn’t often mention his family, and Shiro wasn’t about to be the asshole that pressed for more. They made the rest of the walk back in relative quiet, and by the time they returned, Hunk and Allura had joined them all with a big thermos of hot chocolate that warmed them up and kept them playing until it was almost dark. Hunk headed back in first, to get dinner started, Lance and Allura following not too long after. Pidge and Matt took a couple more runs on the sled before packing it in, leaving Shiro and Keith alone as the first stars began to glow in the gaps between the clouds. “I had a great time with you today, Keith.” He said, looking up at the sky as they paused on the porch to tap snow off their boots. Keith smiled. “I guess Lance can’t be 100% wrong about everything. Sledding is pretty fun.” he said. Shiro laughed, nodding. “Yeah, he’s occasionally had a good thought or two...wanna go warm up?” he suggested, opening the door, warm light flooding the porch, the smell of dinner wafting out to greet them, along with the laughter of their friends. Keith smiled. “You go on, Shiro...I wanna see if I can catch a glimpse of the moon. I’ll be in in a minute.” He said, turning back to the sky. Shiro nodded and headed inside, grateful for the warmth of the cabin. He couldn’t resist the pull of a hot shower and cozy sweats before joining everyone for a movie and dinner...it wasn’t until he was already drifting off to sleep that night before he realized that he hadn’t seen Keith for the rest of the evening. 

~

 

The next few days went relatively similar, the gang spending time out sledding or inside playing cards and video games once it got too dark and cold for the outdoors. Almost the whole gang was currently outside, enjoying the powder before a storm hit the mountain. It had been brewing the last few days, the sky overcast, and fog hanging low in the valleys, but the clouds were now practically black with the threat of snow. 

Shiro had just come inside; Pidge had nailed him right in the face with a snowball, and the powder that had managed to melt down his neck and into his clothes had begun to freeze a little, making it too cold to remain outside. Keith looked up from where he was sitting on the couch, smiling a little at Shiro. “Hey...took a snow bath, did you?” he asked, putting his book down. He had remained inside, telling everyone the incoming storm pressure was giving him a headache. Shiro smiled a little, shaking his head vigorously to rid himself of some of the water droplets in his hair. “You could say that...Pidge got me good.” he explained, prompting a chuckle from Keith. “How’s your head?” Shiro asked, hanging up his coat and kicking off his boots. “It’s alright...excedrin is doing what it can.” Keith shrugged. Shiro nodded. “Well, Hunk’s already getting started on dinner, so maybe that will help...I’m going to go shower real quick…” he said, heading to the bathroom after a slight awkward moment of quiet. _Why, why are you such a spaz around Keith? Why?_

Under the hot stream of water, Shiro tried to relax, and tried to figure out if he should even bother to pursue a relationship with Keith. It did seem as though the other liked him...they were spending a lot of time together, after all...on the same team during snowball fights, sledding together, sitting next to one another during movies...but perhaps he was reading too far into things. Maybe Keith just gravitated towards Shiro to avoid being pestered too often by Lance. Did he even stand a chance with Keith?

He could have stood in the shower agonizing over Keith for hours, easily, if he didn’t know that the hot water would eventually run out, and for the fact that he thought he was currently hearing shouting outside the bathroom. Shiro hurried to get out of the shower, throwing on clothes to find out what the commotion was, running into the living room to find everyone crowded around Lance, who was practically screaming himself mute in pain. Shiro could already see that his right leg was bent at an ungodly angle, and his left arm was cradled against his body. He was pretty banged up, scrapes and bruises on his face indicating a major fall. “Oh my god, Lance?! What the hell happened?” he asked, hurrying to join his friends. Keith was already at Lance’s side, speaking in a low voice, Lance desperately shaking his head. “Its gunna hurt, I won’t lie..but I need to set the bone, and pop your shoulder back in place. Then we can drive you down the mountain to a hospital. You’ll be a lot more comfortable after...Allura, Hunk, hold him.” he said, and before Lance had too long to think about it, Keith quickly and efficiently set Lance’s leg with a sickening crack, and moving to his shoulder, getting it relocated with a pop. Lance barely mustered a scream before he passed out, but the silence left behind was almost worse. 

“What happened?” Shiro repeated softly. 

No one spoke for a moment, until Allura finally seemed to find herself. “We’re not sure...one moment, he was laughing...I heard him yelling something. He sounded completely normal!” her voice was agonized. “He was just out of sight, behind the treeline, and I heard him scream.” She shuddered, apparently unable to continue. 

Keith frowned and looked around. “Where is Pidge?” he asked, his eyes scanning their group. Hunk looked up. “She was just right here...wasn’t she helping Allura carry Lance?” Matt shook his head. “That was me, but Katie was right behind us.” He said, but was already up, heading to the room she was sharing with Allura. He was gone only moments before he was running around the house, calling for his little sister. Shiro was feeling incredibly uneasy as his oldest friend headed towards the door. “I’m going to look for her!” Matt said, frantically shoving his hands into his gloves. 

“I’ll come with you, Matt. You shouldn’t go alone.” Shiro said, hurrying to join his friend, only to be stopped by Keith’s hand on his arm and his serious gaze. “Wait...I think I should go with Matt...I have a lot of experience with this type of thing. I’m good at tracking, and with the storm coming in, we don’t have time to lose... Lance needs a hospital. Allura, I want you and Hunk to get Lance down the mountain.” 

For a moment, it looked like there might be a protest. “We can’t just leave if we don’t know that Katie is safe…”Hunk started, but Keith was already shaking his head. “Hunk, I need you all to listen to me, and do exactly as I say. I promise you, I _will_ find Katie...but if you don’t get on the road now, you have zero chance of beating the storm down the mountain. Lance needs help now, and we cannot afford getting him stuck up here if the storm is as bad as I think it might be. Do you all understand?” he said in a rough but steady voice that would brook no argument. 

There was a flurry of movement, and pretty soon, Shiro was helping Hunk lift Lance into his big yellow truck while Keith handed Allura a duffel bag that had water, snacks and other sundry supplies along with a stack of blankets. As Allura climbed into the backseat with Lance, gently easing his head into her lap, Keith took Hunk by the arm. “Drive safe. Good luck...godspeed.” he nodded. 

Shiro stood with Keith as he watched them drive out of sight, before joining Matt who looked ready to implode with worry. Shiro took his friend’s shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry...Katie is smart, and she can’t have gone too far. We’ll find her.” He said, nearly jumping out of his skin as he heard the abrupt snap of a gun being locked and loaded. Shiro looked up to find Keith, dressed for the outdoors, and expertly loading a shotgun. 

“K-keith, what…” Shiro stammered, a bit nervous about seeing a weapon that large out of the blue. Somber eyes the colour of distant galaxies met Shiro’s. “The mountain is full of predators...can’t be too careful...Shiro, I want you to stay here...lock the doors. Do not open this door unless you hear six knocks, two beats of three.” he said, demonstrating the pattern with a quick wrap of his knuckles on the wall. 

“But what if Katie comes back? She won’t know that…” Shiro pointed out, which drew another solid look from Keith. “I know, Shiro.” he said softly. “But I need you to trust me.” He did not drop Shiro’s gaze until he nodded his agreement. Keith seemed to relax a hair, and he ushered Matt towards the front door. “We’ll be back...just be careful.” Keith said before heading out into the dark, Matt doing his best to keep from running ahead of Keith. In the dead quiet of the night, Shiro heard the calls of Katie’s name long after they were out of sight. 

~

 

Shiro didn’t remember falling asleep while he waited for Matt and Keith to come back. He had spent time pacing the front room, and looking out the windows to watch for any sign of three figures approaching the cabin, but keyed up nerves took their toll and Shiro had eventually sat down on the couch, checking his phone furtively. The signal was not great up here, even worse in inclement weather, but Shiro kept hoping to see a text from Pidge, or a call from Allura assuring him they had made it to a hospital. He wasn’t sure when his eyes had started drooping, or when his head had dropped onto the armrest. He also could not remember if he had been dreaming, making the slamming against the front door of the cabin that much louder and unexpected as it thundered in his ears, his heart battering against his ribs as he jerked awake. He stared around the living room wildly; it was dim, the only light coming from the banked fire, and the odd ambient glow that only winter snow had. Matt and Keith were not back; that much was clear, and the only sound was the wind howling through the night, the gentle tap of large snowflakes hitting the windows, and his own quickened breath. Shiro was beginning to wonder if the pounding had been part of a dream when the door was once more set rattling in its frame, like a battering ram had crashed into it. 

Shiro froze, halfway out of his seat, his pulse quickening once more. “...K-Katie?” he croaked softly. Silence lay thick for a moment before the door shuddered under another punishing slam. “Katie?” he asked again, a little louder this time as he slowly crept towards the door. 

“Let me in? I’m so cold!” came an instantly familiar voice, pleading and soft; He knew Pidge’s voice as well as he would know his own mother’s, and he rushed forward, hand grasping the handle to let her in from the cold. “God, Pidge, I was so worried!” he called, but for some reason, his body would not let him turn the knob. Relief was being dampened by a cold dread that smouldered in the pit of his belly, inexplicable. This was Pidge, clearly...he had known her since she was six. He knew her voice… 

_”Do not open this door unless you hear six knocks…”_ Keith’s voice echoed in his head unbidden. His hand was still on the handle. 

“LET ME IN! I AM FREEZING!” the door shook, sending a vibration through his whole arm as a ramming blow, then another thudded into the door. Shiro’s entire body felt cold, paralyzed by the icy grip of fear. It sounded like Pidge. It sounded exactly like her...but it wasn’t. It sounded like whatever stood on the other side of the door was now punching at it repeatedly, and Shiro backed away as Pidge’s voice demanded over and over again to be let in. He did not want to see what waited at the threshold, did not want to know what it was that spoke with the voice of his friend, but he could not look away from the front door even as he backed away from it. The pounding, the endless screaming….Shiro’s heart was racing, climbing up to make a new home in his throat as a cold sweat broke out on his neck.

 _”LETMEINLETMEINLETMEINLE--”_  
The screaming and the pounding stopped abruptly, and Shiro didn’t dare move, worried that whatever darkened his doorway had thought of a better plan. He was trembling as he strained his ears, listening for any hint of movement, his soul nearly exiting his body when a softer knock landed on the door. _Knock knock knock._ A rest. _Knock knock knock._

Keith. 

His legs turned to jelly, almost dropping him to the floor as he hurried forward, desperate to open the door and find the face of the one person that managed to make him feel safest. He paused at the lock, however...what if it was just...a new trick? His blood rushed through his ears, and he was about to demand to know who was out there when-

“Shiro? Are you alright? It’s Keith.” 

Relief flooded him. It was Keith. It really was Keith. He could not explain how he knew for certain, but as surely as he had known the previous visitor was _not_ Pidge, he was sure this was Keith. He opened the door, revealing the pale face of his handsome friend, concern heavy on his features as he searched Shiro for signs of...Of what, Shiro wasn’t sure, but he surged forward, wrapping his arms around Keith quickly and desperately in an embrace that he wanted to last forever. “Keith, I was so scared you were lost, and I thought Katie was out there, but it wasn’t...where is Matt?” he asked, suddenly aware that his childhood friend was not just behind Keith. 

Keith gave Shiro and tight squeeze before disentangling. “It’s worse than I thought, Shiro...Matt and I were separated. I need to go find him now too.” the guilt etched into Keith’s face nearly broke Shiro, and he gently touched his friend’s cheek. “Hey...whatever is going on here, it isn’t your fault.” Shiro said softly. 

Keith shook his head. “I was an idiot...but I promise I will make this right, Shiro. I will bring your friends back alive...but I need you to come with me now. It isn’t safe for you to stay here alone anymore, not if one of them was bold enough to walk right up to the damned door.” he growled softly. 

“One of what? Keith...what the hell is going on?” he asked, watching the way his friend’s shoulders hunched over defensively...in defeat. 

“Get your coat...I’ll explain on the way.” Keith sighed, quickly heading into the master bedroom while Shiro bundled up for their cold walk. When he returned, Keith had a backpack slung over his shoulder, the shotgun over the other as he assembled yet another shotgun and handed it over to Shiro. “I’m going to assume you know how to use this still.” He asked, and Shiro nodded solemnly.  
Four years of military training could not be so easily erased even two years after his accident had given him an Honorable Discharge and a state of the art prosthetic arm, a Medal of Honor, and a scar across his face that he had always worried made him look meaner than he was. Keith had never seemed scared away, however, so Shiro supposed it couldn’t be so bad. He hadn’t felt the weight of a weapon in his hands for so long, but he instantly knew what to do with it as he followed Keith out into the night. 

Keith was silent as they locked up the cabin, and he moved over the open terrain like a specter, silent as the night itself. Shiro almost lost him in the swirl of snow a few times, but managed to follow Keith into the density of the trees without being left behind. Before Shiro could ask, Keith began speaking, keeping his voice low as they walked carefully from tree to tree. 

“You said you thought I work in some type of law enforcement...and I let you all believe that, because...well, because it’s a lot easier than the truth. Not even Pidge really knows exactly what I do...and I was hoping to keep it that way...cause I do hunt bad guys….just, not the kind you thought.” Keith said, suddenly stopping in his tracks as a howling shriek split the night. He scanned the trees slowly before he started walking again, Shiro close behind even as his blood turned to ice at the sound. “There’s a fuckload of shit in this world that humans don’t know about…or maybe they ignore it to keep from realizing that when they look into the void...sometimes it looks back.”

Shiro tried to keep from gaping at Keith, but...as insane as this all sounds, he knows Keith...and he knows what he heard tonight. “So...monsters?” Shiro asked softly, and Keith smiled just a little, nodding. “Monsters.” he agreed. “When they cause problems for people...I cause problems for them. I learned the trade from my dad...after he was killed, I had to go it alone.” he said, turning his head as he heard a branch snap. 

Shiro’s mind was racing, and he had about three million questions, but the most important one on his mind needed to go first. “Keith, what are we facing out here?” he asked. The hunter sighed, and closed his eyes. “The hungry ghosts.” he said softly. “Born of a violent death, and unhappiness, hungry ghosts wander the world looking to fill their emptiness...they are evil things, and much like a Wendigo, or a ghoul they eat the flesh of the living...but it is a hunger of the soul they seek to sate.” he explained.

A shriek split the night, too close for comfort this time, and Shiro froze, unable to even lift the shotgun as a twisted figure slithered through the trees towards them with a horrifying grace that raised the hairs on Shiro’s neck. Keith took aim as casually as if it were no more than a clay pigeon, and he said a soft word that momentarily had the gun in his hands glow with the merest hint of blue light before the trigger was squeezed, the bullet finding a home deep in the uncomfortably pale flesh of the creature before them. It shrieked, the sound clawing at Shiro’s brain, and Keith shot at it three more times before it burst into ash and was blown away into the torrent of the blizzard.  
Shiro stood slightly agape, and Keith smiled a little. “Catching flies, Shiro? C’mon. We gotta get Matt and Pidge.” he said, prompting Shiro into moving once again. Even though Keith had told him, and he had seen it, he still could not quite wrap his mind around this. He looked at the back of Keith’s head as they trudged through the snow, wondering how much more Keith hid from the world. “Keith...if...if we don’t...if...this doesn’t...I just want to thank you for doing everything you could…” Shiro started, but Keith shook his head. “Shiro, I _swear_ I will get you all home, alive...just...don’t lose hope.” he gently, looking up at the sky as another round of shrieking howls moved in.

~

Shiro was panting, his chest on fire as he ran through the snow. It had gotten so deep, and the storm wasn’t through with them yet, adding inches with every hour that passed. He did not know how long he had been running, but when Keith had handed Matt to him and told him to run, there was no other choice. It had taken Keith and Shiro about an hour and a half to find Matt, an hour and a half of freezing, and fighting for their lives against something Shiro would have never believed existed six hours ago. Hungry Ghosts that tore at flesh and soul with thin claws like daggers of ice, their faces frozen in an agonized rictus of pain and longing. They longed for the warmth of flesh they would never again inhabit, devouring it when they could, just to get a taste of life if only for a fleeting second as their needle like teeth ripped into tender skin and crushed bone. Shiro had been horrified at the sight of a mauled bear he and Keith had stumbled on, bleeding out after its predator had moved on to it’s more desirable prey. Keith had gently put the creature out of its misery. 

Shiro knew he was hurt. His pant leg was stiff with dried, or perhaps frozen blood, but he had not had time to stop. Keith was counting on him. 

He did remember screaming when it’s teeth had cut into his thigh, but Keith was on it in an instant, ripping the creature away from Shiro with a terrifying roar. He had pushed an unconscious Matt into Shiro’s arms and told him to run; He would catch up. 

Shiro had to go on believing that. Keith would catch up.

He was breathing so hard, the icy air cutting through his lungs, but he had to get Matt to the cabin, to safety. Keith had said that he would get her. He would get Pidge. 

He tried not to remember. She had been so incredibly pale, laying there on what had looked like an altar made from stone and bones...She had been covered in blood, her neck black and sticky looking with it... Shiro choked up. _Please, please Keith. Bring her back to us...please come back to me…Focus._

 

He shook his head, trying to focus on the good, the certainties of the night.They had found Matt stumbling alone in the forest, somehow unscathed but for a few minor scrapes and a bite to the shoulder that was just 2 degrees away from serious, for which Shiro had been grateful. Keith had tracked him down expertly, quickly enough to keep Matt from ending up as a horrifying statistic. His friend had been shaken up; a thin cut on Matt’s cheek had come from the swipe of the creature he could barely describe, the one Keith had distracted and ultimately had caused their separation. Drawing the nightmare away, Keith had yelled at Matt to head back towards the cabin while he fought it off...Matt explained he had gotten turned around after the snowfall had filled in their tracks, and without the moon to guide him, he hadn’t known which way to go. He had done his best to avoid making any other sound, or being seen until Keith and Shiro had shown up out of the darkness like two guardian angels. 

After that, their way had become clear. Keith said he knew where to go, where to look for Pidge, and he had led them on a path that only he could seem to make out. He had stopped them just inside a grove of trees on the edge of a clearing, his body tensing as he caught sight of her, of the altar, and of what appeared to be hundreds of pale forms hanging in the trees and open spaces before it. Matt had seen her then too, just about to step forward when Keith caught him...it hadn’t been enough. Matt’s boot had come down through the snow, to loudly snap a bramble of dead twigs below, and it was the same as if a siren had gone off. Thousands of shrieking howls filled the night, knifing into Shiro’s skull, and once again liquefying his knees, but Keith was already moving. “Take the gun!” he commanded Matt, shoving the shotgun into his hands. “Start shooting!” he shouted, and Shiro didn’t need to be told twice. Keith darted forward, dodging as the closest wight dove for them, pulling free a handgun that he fired a few shots off with. 

Everything had happened so fast; Matt and Shiro had tried to keep as close to Keith as possible as they advanced towards the altar, but there were so many of them circling and darting in to jockey them apart, herd them away from Pidge. Shiro wasn’t sure when he had gotten so far from the other two, but he had yelped as on of the shrieking nightmares bore him to the ground, teeth sinking into his thigh as it began to shake it’s head back and forth like a dog with a choice piece of meat. Shiro had screamed. He was certain, but it had been drowned out by that animal roar Keith had somehow releashed. With the grace of a dancer, Keith had whirled, an elegant sword he did not remember seeing him with before sailing through the air to slice the creature in two, tossing it away from Shiro like it was a ragdoll, despite the blood running down his face from a huge gash, and the dark stain on his shoulder. He pulled Matt practically out of thin air, handing his unconscious friend over with desperation in his gaze. _”RUN, SHIRO! TAKE MATT AND RUN! I’M GETTING KATIE!”_

 

He had helped Shiro to his feet, and given them a shove...Shiro ran, too full of adrenaline to limp. He chanced a glance behind him, seeing Keith standing alone, that glowing blade in hand as dozens of shrieking dead had advanced. Shiro’s heart had clenched...but he needed to get Matt out of there. If only one of them could make it...if...if Katie wasn’t… _Stop_

He would get Matt out. He had to. 

The screams had risen to a fever-pitch, a nightmare symphony of the damned that threatened to peel flesh from bone, stringing Shiro’s every nerve taught with fear, and when he thought he could no longer take a single second more, it stopped. By some miracle, the chorus of hunger had gone silent...but in its place, a lone howl cut through it all. Shiro pause, daring to look back. The clearing was long out of sight by now, but he imagined just for a small moment that he saw a brilliant flash of turbulent, electric blue light, the howl cutting through the night like a single wolf’s voice made up from thousands. It was peaceful, somehow. 

The world fell to silence too soon, leaving Shiro with nothing but the sound of his breathing, his slowing footsteps in snow. He couldn’t last much longer, he knew, and he prayed that if he was going to die out here, it be of exposure, rather than being ripped to shreds by the horrific nightmares lurking in the trees...but he wasn’t going to have to worry about that at all. He saw the cabin come into view, hurrying his tired steps a little. Matt began to stir as well, and Shiro sighed with relief. 

What felt like years later and no time at all, Shiro was unlocking the door, and he and Matt were dropping to the floor in and exhausted heap. It was all Shiro could do to remember to lock the door behind them. Keith had the other key...if...if he…

_Stop_

With fear no longer keeping his eyes open, Shiro slumped onto the couch and slept, with Matt sitting close by, while his hope for Keith and Katie was held even closer. 

~ 

Shiro woke up to the sound of the shower turning off, and for a moment, he wondered if he had just been through a horrific dream, and would soon hear Lance and Hunk goofing off in the kitchen while Allura and Pidge yelled over video games...but the cabin remained mostly silent. He cracked open an eyelid that felt coated in cement, and the pain began setting in; his body ached, and his thigh was on fire where he had been bitten. He gasped, trying to get to his feet in a rush as the reality of it all crashed back into him. Matt...the creatures….Keith...Katie. _Oh god, why Katie?_.

Matt came out of the living room, cleaned up, and his wounds mostly dressed. “Shiro...I...sorry...I...I didn’t want to wake you. But...I’ve been thinking it over...and I think once you get cleaned up, we have to go.” Matt said, his voice strained with emotion and exhaustion. Shiro paled. “Matt, we can’t go! We have to wait for Keith and Pidge!” he said. 

Matt’s face contorted. “I’ve been up for an hour, Shiro...and I think we slept for four...if they were coming back...they would be back already. We need to get out of here.” he mumbled. Shiro shook his head. 

“We can’t leave them. Keith promised...and it’s daylight now...we have to go find them!” 

“YOU SAW KATIE!” Matt exploded, silencing Shiro. 

He had. He would never be able to forget it. Shiro could say nothing, and they sat in silence for a moment before Shiro agreed that they needed to pack up. He went to shower and clean up, trying to keep from losing it altogether as the hot water slid over his battered body. This was all his fault. 

They should never have come up here. 

He managed to get it back together, bandage his leg, and limp out to join Matt in packing the cars as much as they could muster after all they had been through...they were in the middle of packing up the video games when Shiro’s heart froze, and Matt tensed. They heard footsteps on the porch. 

They both quietly got up, moving to take hold of the shotguns that hadn’t been very far from their sides as they packed. They trained them slowly on the door, ready for anything as the handle began to jiggle and twist. The deadbolt slid open with a _snckt_ , and Shiro almost screamed with sudden joy when the door swung open slowly to reveal Katie, whole and healthy...if filthy with dirt and blood that did not appear to be hers, supporting an equally filthy Keith. 

“Hey guys. Anyone order a half-dead super soldier and a computer genius?” she asked casually, with a grin. 

Shiro and Matt must have been gaping like morons, because she snorted, and even Keith raised his head for a raspy chuckle. They limped inside, and the spell was broken, Shiro and Matt finally able to rush forward to hug them. 

“Katie, I was so terrified when I realized you were gone! Where did you go?! What happened?!” 

“Keith, I can’t begin to thank you enough! How did you get her out of there? Are you alright? What can I get you?”

“I am so happy you’re back!”

They all talked over one another (except for Keith) in their joy at being alive, and safe, and together again, and after enough of the pieces had been put back together, Shiro helped Keith to the shower in the master bedroom. He was pretty badly beaten up, his shoulder torn open and handing at an odd angle, his cheek cut open in a huge gash that would be sure to scar even with treatment. He was holding his side where a huge bite had all but removed chunks of his flesh. 

“Jesus, Keith, you went through a meat grinder for us...how many times are you going to throw yourself into harm’s way to save our necks?” Shiro asked, helping Keith out of his filthy clothes, standing behind him in the bathroom to ease off his coat without damaging his shoulder further. 

Keith’s eyes caught Shiro’s in the mirror, holding his gaze for what felt like an eternity of warmth and sunshine.

“As many times as it takes.” was his soft reply.

**Author's Note:**

> Ya'll can find me on Tumblr at http://orpheus11.tumblr.com/


End file.
